Choices
by Kohala
Summary: Piper is given the choice between a life with Prue and a life with Paige. Who will she choose and how will she decide. Crappy summary, but I don't want to give the story away. Pipercentric story as per usual.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any part of Charmed. Blah blah blah. You know the rest.

Kind of a short chapter, I know. I'll add bits and pieces when I have the time. I'll try not to make you wait too long between chapters. I hope you enjoy this one. Constructive criticism and positive feedback is always welcomed and appreciated. I do this for fun, not to display my writing skills. Haha. Anywho, enjoy chapter one and I will try to write the next chapter within the next few days.

The three Halliwell sisters trudged into the kitchen of the large, Victorian manor after yet another demon smack-down. This was a common event in the sisters' lives and was becoming more frequent as their powers became stronger. Less than a year ago, one of the routine demon attacks had claimed the life of the eldest sister, Prue, and had nearly severed the Power of Three. However, as luck would have it, their mother Patty had secretly had another daughter, Paige, whom the sisters discovered shortly after Prue's funeral. With that, they were able to reclaim their title as the Charmed Ones.

The two eldest sisters had tried their hardest to adopt Paige into the family, but she couldn't replace Prue, and Paige was well aware of it. Piper and Phoebe had never said anything to her and certainly treated her like a sister almost immediately, but Paige had a feeling that if they had been given the choice between her or Pure, she would be cast aside without questions. Not that it bothered her though. Well, not too much anyway. If she had the choice of having a normal life again and demon fighting on a daily basis, she would definitely prefer the normal life.

As she snapped back to reality, Paige realized that she and Phoebe were alone in the room and Phoebe was off rummaging through the refrigerator for something to cure her post-demon fighting munchies.

"Welcome back," said Phoebe as she pulled a piece of cheesecake from the refrigerator and sat at the table across from her baby sister.

"Sorry dude," said Paige. "I guess I kind of got lost in my head for a minute there."

"What were you thinking about?" Phoebe asked with a mouthful of cheesecake.

"Ah, nothing important," said Paige. "Demon-fighting, being a witch, work…"

"You know, we're sisters now," said Phoebe as she cut a small piece of cheesecake with her fork. "You can talk to Piper and I about anything at any time."

"Yeah, I know," said Paige. "I just need to internalize everything a little more. I'll be fine." Phoebe looked up at Paige skeptically, trying to read her mid for any insecurities that she could help with. Getting up from her seat and walking to the refrigerator, Phoebe grabbed another piece of cheesecake and placed it in front of Paige.

"You read my mind," said Paige with a mile.

"I don't know why I even bother," the Source grumbled. He had just received word that the Charmed Ones had, once again, vanquished one of his minions. He had been sending out demons for weeks, trying to off the witches while they were at their weakest, but somehow they were fighting back with little effort. Or so it seemed. The Source himself had been able to capture the most powerful of the three sisters and still failed.

He hadn't given up though. He knew Piper Halliwell's weak spots after studying the sisters for the last few weeks. She did not want to be a witch, she loathed fighting evil, even more-so now that Prue was gone and she desperately wanted to start a family without the constant threat of evil attacking at all hours of the day.

He couldn't very well use the same tactic twice, therefore he needed to come up with a new plan to sever the Power of Three. It didn't take long before he had yet another devious plan brewing within his brain, but he would require the help, or the power, of a very sophisticated upper-level demon.

Piper stepped out of the washroom much cleaner than when she had stepped inside. She looked down at the tattered and stained outfit in her hands that was by no means fashionable anymore. She lost most of her best outfits during unexpected demon fights and the damage was becoming quite clear on her credit card bills and her slowly deteriorating wardrobe selection. She was beginning to think she should wear sweat pants and old tees on a daily basis from now on, but her fashion-conscious sister would never approve or allow her to leave the house looking like a hobo.

She cast the outfit into the trashcan and rummaged through her closet for something nice to wear that she wouldn't be upset over having to throw away. As she changed into her new outfit, she could hear footsteps behind her. It was just like Leo to orb into the room and slip up quietly behind her, pulling her into a warm, loving embrace. She smiled and pushed her hair behind her ears before turning to greet her husband.

The face she met was not that of her husband. It was a face she had never seen before, but she knew exactly who, or what rather, it was. Before she could alert her sisters to the demonic presence in her bedroom, the demon grabbed her and covered her mouth to avoid having her blow his cover.

She could smell his breath on her face as he exhaled. The air around her became thick and blue, almost like a haze. She struggled within his grip for a few moments before slowly slipping away. Her eyelids slid shut and her body relaxed. The demon allowed her to drop to the floor and shimmered silently out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews!! Here's the second chapter. (Hope I didn't make you wait too long)

Piper could hear a concerned voice repeatedly calling her name. As she slowly regained consciousness she could feel the cold, hardwood floor against her cheek and her hair plastered to her forehead. She pushed herself off of the floor into a sitting position. Someone gently put their hand on her shoulder and knelt beside her. As she looked around, she realized that she was no longer in her bedroom. Actually, she was, but the décor had changed.

She clasped her hand onto her forehead, which must have connected with the floor at some point. Something wasn't right. She had bangs! She suddenly realized that the room she was in looked just like Prue's old room.

As she turned around to face the person she was sitting beside, she found herself face to face with her older sister, Prue.

She opened her mouth to say something, by her vocal chords refused to make a sound. Her sister, who had been deceased for over a month, was now standing beside her, very much alive and dressed way out of fashion. If not for her sisters' clothing and her own youthful haircut, she would have assumed that Prue was a ghost. She'd seen her mother and Grams come back from the dead before, so it wasn't an absurd assumption, but this was different. Somehow, Piper must have slipped back in time.

Without a word, Piper leapt at her sister and wrapped her arms around her. Prue was caught off guard and took a moment to respond by hugger back. Piper held her sister tightly, not wanting to let go and cause Prue to disappear.

"I missed you so much," Piper sobbed. She knew Prue was confused, but she didn't care. She was just so happy to see her sister again.

"I've only been gone for, like, an hour," said Prue. "Are you all right? I think you may have hit your head or something."

Piper let go of her sister and stared at the face she had missed more than anything. She didn't care why she was back to a time when Prue was still alive and she didn't want to go back to her own time.

"I think we should take you to a doctor," said Prue. Piper realized she'd been staring.

"No, I'm fine," said Piper. "Really." She got to her feet and looked around the room. It was so weird to be standing in Prue's old room again, but it felt more like home. She and Leo had been occupying this bedroom for so long that she had forgotten what it had looked like before.

"I have to go," said Prue. "Are you going to be ok if I leave?"

Piper blushed, a little embarrassed that her sister had found her face flat on the floor.

"Oh year," she replied. "I must have slipped on something. I'll be fine."

Piper didn't want Prue to leave, but she didn't want Prue to think she was crazy. She needed to do some investigating anyway to figure out what time frame she had landed in.

"When are you going to be back?" Piper inquired nonchalantly.

"Six-ish," replied Prue. "I've just got to run to work for an hour or two."

Prue gave her one last skeptical look before turning and leaving the room. Piper felt a little hurt that Prue wasn't as excited to see her, but she had apparently just seen her an hour ago. Prue had no idea that Piper had just come back for a time where she was no longer alive.

Piper wandered around the upper level of the manor. By the look of things, Grams had just passed away because Phoebe had moved back. Her room was quite empty, considering she lost most of her money in New York and come back with a bike and the clothes on her back.

As Piper stepped out of Phoebe's room, she began to wonder if they had even discovered that they were witches yet. She walked up the staircase to the attic and pushed the door open. They must have already found out because Phoebe had been the one who had unlocked the door to the attic. Before Grams had died, the door couldn't be opened.

The room looked exactly as she had remembered it, except for one important detail.

The Book of Shadows and the pillar it normally sat on was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Piper stared in disbelief at the spot where the Book of Shadows should have been. She could hear the sound of the front door slamming and Phoebe's voice inquiring as to whether anyone else was home. Piper turned and ran from the attic, down to where Phoebe was. She had forgotten how young Phoebe had looked four years ago.

"Hey," said Phoebe in her own cheerful, bouncy way. "I just go back from the mall and I saw the cutest little outfit…"

"Phoebe," Piper interrupted. "Have you sent the Book of Shadows?" Phoebe looked perplexed.

"Is that a new movie or something?" I haven't even seen any trailers for it, but if you think it's going to be good then I'll come with you to see it." Now Piper looked confused. It was possible that they weren't yet familiar with the Book of Shadows, but then again, Phoebe was more into the whole witch thing than Prue and Piper put together. She knew that Phoebe would have known about the book.

"The Book of Shadows, Pheebs," Piper coaxed. "Our big book of spells and family history. It's usually in the attic on a big pedestal…" Phoebe stared at her sister, not knowing what to say.

"I didn't know you were into that witchy stuff Piper," said Phoebe, slightly intrigued.

"You know what," said Piper. "Forget I even said anything. Um, I was going to make a nice supper for the three of us. Are you going to be around for the next couple of hours?" Phoebe nodded and threw her backpack over her shoulder. Piper watched as Phoebe ran up the stairs toward her bedroom.

Piper stood in the entry way of the manor and stared absently at the old grandfather clock, which showed no sign of any damage or abuse. Rolling her eyes, Piper began to realize that she hadn't really gone back in time. The Source had to have gotten into her head again somehow. She couldn't believe he would try the same thing twice. One would assume that the Source of all evil would at least try to be original. At least she wasn't in a sanitarium again.

She wandered into the kitchen and began tossing ingredients together. Out of curiosity, she began searching through the spice cupboard for potion ingredients. She wasn't surprised to find the cupboard completely magic-free.

The sisters gathered in the dining room for a lovely multi-course meal. Prue and Phoebe barely said a work to one another. As much as Piper hated to admit it, magic had been the source of their bond as sisters.

As Piper crawled into bed that night, a number of thoughts ran through her head. She hadn't slept without Leo in quite a long time and she missed having his arm around her waist as she slept. She missed the body heat too. She also wondered how she was going to recreate the bond with her sisters without witchcraft.

"Come on Piper," said Phoebe. "Wake up." Piper could hear the desperation in her sister's voice, but she didn't want to go back. She needed more time with Prue. She fought as hard as she could against her increasing consciousness.

The feeling of Phoebe cradling her on the floor was beginning to fade. The voices decreased in volume until she couldn't hear them at all. Her eyes slowly slid open. She was back in her old bed. She managed to avoid going forward in time. She still had time to spend with Prue.


	4. Chapter 4

Piper walked quietly through the upper hallway of the manor. She was feeling a little guilty about not going back. She knew she was being selfish, but she needed more time with Prue, even if it wasn't the real Prue. She didn't see any harm in it. The Source hadn't even tried to get her to relinquish her powers yet.

This whole thing did not make any sense. How could sending her back in time in her mind benefit him anyway? Obviously she could go back if she wanted to or if her sisters really needed her help.

She found herself standing in the door frame of Prue's room. She had been so deep in thought that she had no idea how long she'd been standing there. The clock beside Prue's bed displayed the numbers 6:45 in illuminated red numbers. Deciding there was no point going back to bed, Piper decided to go downstairs to figure out how much magic the sisters had to work with. She hadn't even tested her own powers yet. She was curious to see if her powers were still as advanced as they were in the future.

Piper wandered into the parlor and tossed a pillow in the air. She threw out her hands to freeze it, but it continued to fall to the floor. Piper raised her eyebrow and attempted to blow the billow up. The pillow remained motionless on the floor, completely intact.

The Source was obviously trying to make her think that magic didn't exist. Piper couldn't believe how unoriginal he was being. She and her sisters had obviously given him too much credit.

Breakfast had been painful. Prue and Phoebe had bickered with each other all morning over stupid little things. Piper had forgotten how hard Prue used to be on Phoebe and how rigid Phoebe could be toward her eldest sister. Piper hadn't had to play the mediator in such a long time she had almost lost her touch. She eventually got them apart and stopped a major blow up from occurring.

After Prue left for work, Piper left Phoebe sitting in the kitchen searching through the classified section of the paper for a job. Piper wondered if it was a good idea to suggest Phoebe go to college and get her degree in Psychology, or if it was best to let things happen on their own. In attempt to let destiny take its course, Piper slipped a College of Psychology brochure into the stack of papers. There was no harm in giving destiny a nudge, was there?

Piper decided to go out for a drive to get some fresh air. The neighbourhood looked quite different. The flower beds weren't the same and some of the neighbours had obviously not purchased newer vehicles yet.

As Piper drove through the more retail end of town, she noticed one of the Wiccan shops that she and her sisters shopped at quite frequently as witches. She parked her old car near the shop and wandered inside.

Piper noticed the owner of the store immediately. She looked a little bit younger and her hair was bright pink, rather than blue. She had always been the type of person that liked to experiment with funky hair colours. As she browsed the selection within the shop, Piper began to wonder if any potions would work. She searched her memory for a simple potion recipe and proceeded to purchase the items she would need.

When she arrived home, Phoebe was no longer in the kitchen. Her bike had disappeared as well, which meant she had either found a job option or she had decided to go shopping again.

Piper grabbed one of her large cooking pots and began mixing the potion. It looked the same as it usually did and it certainly smelled the same. Piper searched the room for something to test it on. She chose one of the potted plants from the windowsill and poured the potion over it. The plant began to grow much larger than it ever would on its own. Piper smiled satisfactorily at her discovery.

There was one more thing she needed to know.

"Leo!" she shouted. "Leo Wyatt, I need you!"


	5. Chapter 5

Piper had called for Leo a number of times before giving up. As she turned toward the kitchen sink in defeat, a familiar blue glow temporarily illuminated the room. Piper smiled and turned to face her husband.

Leo had a look of confusion on his face. Piper soon realized her mistake. She and Leo hadn't actually met until long after the girls had received their powers.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Leo asked.

"Uh, I don't think so," said Piper. "I don't know if the Elders have told you yet, but you're going to be our whitelighter. My sisters and I, I mean… The Charmed Ones?"

"Charmed Ones?" Leo frowned. "I'm sorry. I really don't know what you're talking about." Piper was more than confused now. Everyone in the magical community had know about the Charmed Ones long before the girls had been born. This must have been part of the Source's plan.

"Long story short," said Piper. "My sisters and I are witches, but our powers, well, my powers aren't' working and our Book of Shadows is missing. Could you possibly ask the Elders if they know anything about our situation?" She couldn't have cared less what the Elders had to say. She knew none of this was real, but she felt a little awkward about calling Leo.

Leo nodded and smiled at Piper. As he orbed out of the room, Piper noticed that he had begun to blush a little. Even without all of their history together, Leo still had a thing for Piper. Some things were meant to be.

Piper had whipped up a lovely supper for her sisters. She had the whole night planned out for them. Following supper, they were going to watch a movie while pampering themselves with manicures, pedicures, facials, foot spas, and chocolate covered strawberries. If that didn't bring them together as sisters, nothing would.

Supper went far better than breakfast had. Phoebe received a phone call about a job interview just before supper and Prue was elated that their baby sister had actually done something responsible.

Piper's plan worked out great. The sisters bonded immediately over pedicures and chocolate covered strawberries. They snuggled together on the couch as they watched Pleasantville and shared a large bowl of warm popcorn.

Their quiet night at home was suddenly interrupted by the shrill ring of the telephone. Phoebe paused the movie using the remote control and hopped off of the sofa to answer the phone.

"Prue, its Buckland's," said Phoebe as she covered the phone with the palm of her hand. "Do you want me to take a message?"

Prue groaned and slid off of the sofa. She accepted the phone from Phoebe and left the room to take the call.

"Buckland's?" said Piper quietly to herself. "Prue didn't start at Buckland's until after we…"

"After we what?" said Phoebe as she jumped back onto the sofa. She took the popcorn bowl from Piper and popped a few pieces into her mouth. Piper shrugged and looked back at door, waiting for Prue to return.

Apparently the Source hadn't sent her to a very accurate future. He obviously wanted her to think she wasn't a witch, but she knew better. The only reason she was staying was to be with Prue. She just needed a little bit of time with her sister before she went back to her own time. She knew all she had to do was allow herself to go back the next time the opportunity arose.

She still couldn't figure out why the Source had put her here. She knew she wasn't really back in time and he had to know she would figure it out. How could this possibly benefit him?

"The Source is responsible for this," said Leo as he lifted Piper into her bed. "I just got confirmation from the Elders." Phoebe sat on the bed beside Piper and held her hand.

"He can't expect her to fall for the same thing again," said Phoebe. "She must know what's going on." Leo shrugged as he covered his wife with a light blanket. Paige stood aside, not knowing how to contribute to the situation. She still wasn't used to having sisters and wasn't quite comfortable interacting as a sister figure.

"She must be trying to find her way out," said Leo. "We got some response last night. The Source must have done something to keep her from coming back to us."

"Why don't we try that spell to get into her head again?" Paige suggested. "It worked last time."

Phoebe shook her head. "I tried already," she sighed. "The Source did something to keep us out. He obviously learned from last time."

Paige folded her arms and leaned back against the door frame. Piper had been out cold for nearly twenty-four hours and none of them had been able to come up with a solution. It was moments like this that made Paige hate her "gift". She longed for the privacy of her loft and her hectic life as a social worker. At least with her job she had the option to quit and go home. There was no "quitting" when it came to witchcraft.

The Source smiled maniacally in his lair. The oracle had just given him news that his plan was working. There was no way the Charmed Ones would defeat him this time. The longer Piper remained in the past, the less chance she would have to come back. He alone would be responsible for destroying the Power of Three. With the eldest and strongest sister out of commission, there would be no problem killing off the remaining two sisters.

"Why don't you just destroy them now," the oracle wined. "With Piper gone you would have no problem killing Phoebe and Paige. Why are we waiting?"

"Because, you ignorant fool," the Source hissed. "Piper isn't completely gone yet. She can still come back. Once she's chosen a life with Prue over Paige she can never come back." He rose from his chair and moved swiftly over to her cauldron. Leaning over the boiling potion, he glared down at the image of Piper and her sisters returning to their movie. "The bond between the Charmed Ones is too strong. If Phoebe and Paige are in trouble, she will sense it and return. I have to wait until she renounces her role as a witch."

The oracle rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "But it's taking so long!" she pouted.

"Goodnight girls!" said Piper as she closed her bedroom door. She collapsed onto her bed with a smile spread across her face. She hadn't been this happy in a long time. She had her big sister back, she didn't have to deal with magic and best of all, there was no threat of a demon attack any time soon.

As she buried herself beneath the sheets and duvet on her bed, the room temporarily lit up and she could sense that someone was in the room with her. She quickly turned her bedside lamp on and gazed up at the one person she was missing.

Leo blushed and turned his head away. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I didn't realize you were in bed."

Piper smiled and sat up, letting her feet dangle a few inches above the hardwood floor. She was tempted to wrap her arms around him, but unfortunately she knew Leo would think she was insane. They weren't married or even dating yet.

"Don't worry about it," she said with a smile. "What's up?"

Leo gazed into her eyes. He had fallen in love with her the moment he saw her. He knew it would never work though. The Elders would never allow it.

"I just wanted to let you know that the Elders don't know anything about the Charmed Ones," said Leo. "They have no idea who you and your sisters are either. They have no idea how you know about witchcraft and demons, among other things."

"Really?" said Piper. She wasn't surprised. She'd figured out the Source's plan anyway. He wanted her to think that she wasn't a witch, but she knew better. "That's a shame."

Leo smiled. "You don't seem too disappointed."

"I kind of figured they hadn't," said Piper. "It's not a big deal."

"So, are you going to tell me how you know about all of this; about the Elders?" Leo asked

"It's a long story," said Piper. "Why don't I tell you over dinner tomorrow? Say around 1:30?" Even in the dim lighting Piper could see him blush.

"I'll be there," said Leo. "There's a nice little restaurant a few blocks from here. I hear it's quite nice."

"You don't think the Elders will mind?" Piper asked.

"They want me to figure out how you know about them," said Leo. "They didn't say I couldn't take you to dinner to figure it out."


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you all so much for the reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! Happy reading!

Piper had a fitful sleep that night. Her mind was constantly pulled between reality and the imaginary. She fought as hard as she could against going back to reality. She couldn't see the harm in staying back with Prue for just a little while longer; just until the Source tried something. She was much happier in her head than she had been in the real world. She had Prue, Phoebe, Leo and best of all, no magic! I was the life she ached for.

She awoke in her bedroom; the bedroom she and Leo shared as a married couple. Paige was leaning on the doorframe with her arms folded. Leo and Phoebe were sitting on either side of her. She could hear Phoebe talking, but she couldn't make out what she was saying. All of her senses were clouded.

She sat up in bed and pushed her legs over the edge. Leo was talking now, but she couldn't understand what he was saying. She didn't care. She wanted to go back to Prue. She wanted to be free of magic for just a little while longer.

She lifted herself off of the bed and began walking toward the door, not sure of where she was going. She felt like she was floating; detached from her body somehow. She felt someone take her hand. An arm gently pressed against he back and a second hand rested on her hip. Leo was trying to lead her back to her bed.

She closed her eyes. Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe she could find her way back to Prue. The voices around her grew quieter until she could no longer hear them. The sensation of Leo's hands guiding her through the room disappeared. She felt like she was falling, but she never hit the ground.

Leo caught Piper before she hit the floor. He struggled for a moment before wrapping his free arm around her knees and lifting her into his arms. Piper's head tilted back against Leo's shoulder as every muscle in her body relaxed.

"What happened?" Phoebe gasped. She leapt off of Piper and Leo's bed and gently placed her hand on Piper's head.

"She must be trying to come back to us," said Leo. "She's fighting whatever it is the Source has done to her." He placed Piper back onto the bed and sat next to her.

"That's a good sign, right?" Paige piped in. "She's going to be ok then?"

"We're not out of the woods yet," said Phoebe. She crawled onto the bed and rested her head against Piper's shoulder. "We'll just have to wait."

Piper awoke back in her old room. The sun was creeping into the room through the opening between the curtains. She could hear someone walking toward her bedroom door.

"Good morning," said Prue as she poked her head in through the door. "Are you going to sleep all day or are you coming shopping with me?"

Piper smiled. It worked. She was able to force herself back into her imaginary world with Prue.

"I'll be ready in a moment," Piper yawned. She threw back her covers and jumped out of bed. "Is Phoebe coming with us?"

"I hadn't asked her," said Prue from the hallway. She had already begun making her way downstairs. There was a fresh pot of coffee awaiting the three sisters in the kitchen and she wanted to make sure she got her fair share of it.

Thirty minutes later Piper and Phoebe made their way into the kitchen. All three of them were ready for a long day of power shopping. Prue offered to drive. Being the control freak she was she couldn't stand not being in control of a moving vehicle.

The girls had an argument-free day. They bonded over cappuccinos and lattés at an outdoor café while discussing current crushes and future plans. Phoebe had expressed an interest in going back to college, which gave Piper an idea.

"Hey Pheebs," said Piper. "Have you ever considered writing? Like giving advice and stuff?"

"You mean like an 'Ask the Expert' column in the paper or something?" Phoebe asked. She looked flabbergasted. "I don't think I'd be any good at that. Where would you even get an idea like that?"

Piper shrugged. "You've always been really good at giving people advice," said Piper nonchalantly. "And the 'Ask Dr. Maggie' column has really gone downhill." She flashed the advice column of the local newspaper at her sisters. "You could get a degree in psychology or go right down to the paper for an interview."

"I could try," said Phoebe. "It might be fun to write for the paper. I wonder what it pays."

"I'm sure you'd be making a decent wage," said Piper. "With benefits and evenings and weekends off and everything."

"Sounds like you've done your research," said Prue as she brought her cup to her mouth. She blew on the hot liquid before taking a sip.

"Just looking out for my baby sister," said Piper. She smiled innocently. Phoebe rolled her eyes and stirred what was left of her latté.

As Piper enjoyed the feeling of having both of her sisters together again without arguing over stupid things, she heard a woman scream.

"Did you hear that?" she asked as she set her coffee cup back on the table.

Prue and Phoebe looked around, then returned their gaze to Piper. "Hear what, sweetie?" Phoebe asked.

"I think someone's in trouble," said Piper. She quickly stood up and began running toward the location of the scream. She soon found herself in an empty alley. She continued running through the alley and turned the corner to find a demon hovering over a nearly unconscious woman.

"Hey!" she shouted. She rummaged through her purse for the vanquishing potion she had brewed earlier. She wanted to have one available in case of an emergency such as this. She grasped the potion in her hand and prepared to throw it.

"Piper, what are you doing?" Prue shouted. Phoebe and Prue had followed after her and had nearly reached the place where their sister was standing. They hadn't yet seen the demon.

The demon quickly grabbed the woman and shimmered out of sight with her.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Phoebe shouted. "We live in San Francisco. You don't go running into an alley on your own."

"Especially not to investigate a noise!" Prue exclaimed. "They make horror movies with people in those kinds of situations."

"It's always the girl that goes to investigate the noise that gets murdered!" Phoebe scolded. "I think you and I need to sit down and study a few scary movies when we get home because obviously you have no idea what you should and shouldn't do in scary situations."

"First let's get you out of this alley," said Prue. She grabbed Piper by the hand and pulled her back toward the crowded street. The sudden movement caused Piper to drop the vile of vanquishing potion. The vile shattered as it connected with the pavement and its contents spilled into a large purple puddle.

"Oh, sorry honey," said Prue. "We'll go buy you some perfume before we head home. I hope it wasn't expensive."

Piper was in shock. She couldn't remember the last time her sisters had been afraid to go into an alley. For the last four years they had walked straight into more dangerous situations without a second thought. The whole, not-having-magical-powers-and-fighting-demons-on-a-regular-basis, thing was going to take some getting used to. What was worse was she had just watched an innocent being taken by a demon and she couldn't do anything about it.


	7. Chapter 7

Piper stared blankly at the potion she had just brewed. She had been standing there for nearly ten minutes, staring at the potion and wondering why she had bothered to create it in the first place. She shouldn't feel bad about the innocent because she wasn't real. None of this was real. She didn't have to be a witch here and yet she was having a hard time letting go.

She lifted the large pot off of the stovetop and poured the contents into the sink. As she rinsed the sink clean, Phoebe wandered into the kitchen.

"Oh, honey. Your soup didn't turn out?" She jumped onto the cupboard and dug into an open box of crackers.

"Uh, sure," replied Piper. She placed the pot in the sink and dried her hands on one of the dish towels hanging from the oven door. "Are you hungry?"

"No," replied Phoebe with a mouthful of crackers. "Just snacking." Piper smiled and nodded at her sister. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for you date?"

"Oh my gosh! I completely forgot!" Piper gasped. She looked at her wristwatch and bolted out of the room to get ready for her date. She had to meet with Leo in less than an hour.

Twenty minutes later she found herself staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. It hadn't taken long to get ready. All she had to do was fix her hair and change. She quickly touched up her makeup and stood back to see what she looked like. Her mind was so consumed with thoughts of her date and her plans with Prue and Phoebe for tomorrow that she was no longer concerned with magic. She was beginning to get used to not being a witch anymore.

Leo watched as Piper slept. He couldn't help but wonder what was going on in her head. She seemed so peaceful and yet whenever she began to regain consciousness she looked terrified and exhausted.

He had remained by her side as much as possible. The only time he left her alone was to get an update from the Elders, but they never seemed to have any news or advice for him. As he brushed her hair out of her face her eyes slowly opened. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Leo?" She groaned. He watched in awe as she slowly propped herself onto her elbows.

"Hey," he replied; a large grin spread across his face. "Are you ok?" He helped her sit up and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Piper smiled and hugged him back.

"I'm great," replied Piper. "What happened?" Leo explained what the Source had done to Piper while still holding her tightly.

"_We should tell your sisters you're ok," Leo suggested as he pulled Piper from the bed. "They've been worried sick." Piper nodded and followed Leo to the door. Before entering the hallway, Piper pulled Leo back into a deep kiss. She ran her hands along the back of his neck and through his hair. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in closer. Piper leaned back, keeping her arms around his neck. She stared deep into his eyes and smiled._

"_I love you," she said quietly, just barely over a whisper. She pulled herself closer to him, tucking her head under his chin. They stood in their embrace for a moment. Leo listened closely to the sound of her breathing and enjoyed the warmth of her body against his._

_Without warning, Piper became heavy in his arms. He felt her arms slip away from his neck and her legs gave out. He pulled her back to the bed and sat down with her in his arms. She slowly fell backwards. Her arms dangled loosely by her sides and her head fell back. Her eyes were open and her face was pale. Leo couldn't hear her breathing anymore._

"_Piper?" he begged. He pulled her close and embraced her. Her skin was becoming cold against his own. He choked back the tears that were beginning to form as he set her on the bed. He felt her wrist for a pulse, but he already knew that he wouldn't find one. She was staring blankly at the ceiling. Her eyes, which had been full of life and passion just moments ago were now lifeless and blank._

_Leo proceeded to perform CPR. He was so desperate to breathe life back into her that he could feel her ribs crack beneath his force. Giving up, he collapsed onto her torso and cried; cursing the Elders for not doing anything to help her._

He awoke with a start. Piper was lying next to him, not breathing. His sudden movement caused her to inhale suddenly. He placed his head gently on her chest and listened to her now steady breathing and the pulsing of her heart. Something told him that if he hadn't startled her, she wouldn't have started breathing again. He hated being powerless to help her. He felt weak and useless.

Phoebe was sleeping on the other side of the bed and Paige had curled up on the foot of the bed. The girls had refused to leave Piper's side until she had woken up. Had his mind been working during his nightmare, he would have realized it wasn't real due to the absence of both sisters.

Piper gasped for breath on the front steps of the manor. She had felt herself begin to fade away as she fell deeper under the Source's spell. She leaned against the front door and buried her face into her hands as she began to cry. She knew that if she allowed herself to stay with Prue much longer there would be no going back. She would have to leave Prue soon or allow the Source to take over her mind forever.


	8. Chapter 8

Piper was still sitting on the front step of the manor when Prue returned home from work. Prue stopped and looked at her with concern.

"Are you ok?" she asked as she quickly approached her sister. Piper nodded. She didn't know what to tell Prue. She was free from being a witch, but she wasn't quite free from the magical secret-keeping. It was weird to have to keep their magical background a secret from Prue.

"I… uh… forgot my keys," Piper lied. "I figured I'd just sit and wait for you or Pheebs to come home." Prue chuckled and pulled her keys from her pocket. Piper leapt to her feet and grabbed her purse while Prue opened the door.

"I thought I showed you where I hid the spare key," said Prue. "It's under that big stone under the hedges at the side of the house, remember?"

"Right," said Piper. She should have thought of a better excuse.

"How'd your date with Leo go?" Prue asked. Piper followed her sister into the parlour.

"Pretty good," replied Piper. She caught herself smiling. She missed post-date talks with Prue. The two of them sat on the sofa while Piper told Prue all about her date with Leo.

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Piper sat in bed, wide awake. She was too scared to go to sleep. What if this was the night that she returned to her own time and couldn't come back to Prue. The more she thought about it the more the line between dream and reality became blurred.

Maybe it was a spell that was making her think that Prue had died and that she had a new sister. Maybe it had all been a dream. Their mother was not the type to have an affair anyway and drowning was a much more believable death than being killed by a water demon. Paige didn't even have any features of the Halliwell family.

She decided to test her theory. She grabbed her water bottle from the bedside table and dumped its contents on the floor.

"Let the object of objection become but a dream

as I cause the scene to be unseen."

Nothing happened. The spell Paige had taught her didn't work. If witchcraft truly existed, the water would have disappeared. She grabbed a few tissues and cleaned up the mess.

Maybe she had imagined the demon in the alley too. The potion she had mixed should have at least smoked or popped when it hit the ground. She couldn't remember anything happening when the vial broke.

She couldn't believe how stupid she had been. Her dream world had totally taken over her daily life. The conversation with Leo obviously hadn't happened. They hadn't mentioned anything about magic. She could remember now. He didn't orb out of the room, he walked right out the back door. How could her mind have completely erased that memory?

Once she'd gotten back into bed she had made up her mind to see a psychiatrist. Mixing dreams with reality was definitely a problem that would need to be dealt with.

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Phoebe screamed at Leo as he lifted Piper off of the bed. Piper had stopped breathing, only this time startling her hadn't made her start breathing again.

"Do something!" Phoebe sobbed. Holding Piper in his arms, he carried her to the washroom. Both sisters followed close behind as Leo started the shower. Maybe shaking her wasn't enough to shock her into breathing again, but freezing water might.

It took a few seconds for the water to cool enough to an uncomfortable temperature. With Piper still in his arms he stepped into the shower and let the water hit her. Piper gasped and began coughing almost immediately. Her eyes opened, but she didn't move. Leo continued to hold her under the icy spray, hoping she would try to move away on her own.

"Come on Piper," said Leo. "Move something. Let me know you're here." He stared at her, waiting for her to at least look at him. She was blinking on her own, but she was staring blankly at the shower wall.

"Leo, her lips are turning blue," said Phoebe. "Bring her out." She grabbed a towel and waited for Leo to come out of the shower.

"Blink twice if you want out," Leo demanded. He was freezing from the water that was hitting him, he couldn't even imagine how cold Piper was. Trying to shrug off the cold he continued to stare at Piper, desperately waiting for her to blink for him. He could feel her body beginning to shake in attempt to warm itself involuntarily.

"Leo!" Paige shouted. "She's not there!"

"She's breathing now," said Phoebe. "That's good enough!" Leo sighed and turned the shower off. He stepped out of the shower and helped Phoebe wrap the towel around Piper. Paige threw a towel over Leo's shoulder and watched as he place Piper on the floor.

"At least her eyes are open now," said Phoebe as tried to warm Piper's hands in her own. "Maybe she's there, but can't do anything to let us know." She stared down at her big sister, watching every blink and every breath she took.

Paige watched Phoebe interact with Piper. She desperately wished her sisters would care about her like that. She really didn't want Piper to die. She had lost Prue before she could even meet her and she hadn't had the chance to bond with Piper yet. She didn't think she could be a source of comfort for Phoebe if Piper died. She had no idea how to be a sister. She still had so much to learn. Being a witch was easy. Her sisters were more than happy to train her in the magical arts. Training Paige to be a sister obviously wasn't something they had considered.

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Piper sat up in bed with a start. She couldn't believe that she had almost given up on Phoebe and Paige. She'd seen how much torture she'd put them through and she couldn't allow herself to let it continue.

She slid out of bed and walked slowly down the hall to Prue's room. She quietly pushed open the door and watched her sister sleep. She couldn't continue kidding herself. She had to let Prue go.

She wandered further into the room. She felt like she was walking the last few steps toward her own death, like someone on death row. She sat on the side of Prue's bed and put her hand on Prue's shoulder. Prue sat up, shocked to find someone in her bed.

"Hey Piper," she groaned. "Is everything ok?"

"I have to say goodbye," Piper whimpered. It was too hard to look Prue in the eye. She stared at the hardwood floor beneath her feet.

"Where are you going?" Prue asked. She sounded confused.

"I don't belong here," said Piper. "This isn't real… You're not real." She burst into tears as the last words she said rang through her head. Having to tell her own sister that she wasn't real was hard. She tried to picture the Source rather than her sister. She hated him for bringing her here.

"What are you talking about?" Prue asked once Piper's statement sunk in. "Of course I'm real."

"I'm sorry Prue," Piper sobbed. "I have to go." She leapt off the bed and ran to the corridor. Phoebe was standing beside the staircase looking concerned.

"Piper, are you ok?" she asked.

Piper pushed passed her and ran downstairs. She couldn't look at her sisters knowing it was the Source in disguise. She had to get out of the manor and figure out how to get back to Phoebe and Paige.

Both Prue and Phoebe were at the front door of the manor. They had their arms crossed and they looked mad. Piper turned and made her way to the kitchen. She would have to get out through the back door. When she got to the kitchen, Prue and Phoebe were standing in front of the back door, preventing her from getting out of the manor.

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Piper was breathing heavily and whimpering as Leo set her back in her bed. He and her sisters could tell something was going on. She was struggling against something. Phoebe grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Come on, Piper," she coaxed. "You're almost there. Keep fighting him!"

"Do you think she's trying to come back?" Phoebe asked timidly. Phoebe nodded and sat next to Piper.

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Piper desperately tried to find away out of the manor. Everywhere she turned she found herself face to face with her sisters. They weren't her sisters anymore though. They both looked dark and evil.

As she was backed into a corner, she began thinking about the times she had gone back to her own time. Each time she had gone back, she had not left the manor. Her own mind had taken her back when she had gone to bed. She quickly sat on the floor and leaned against the wall. She closed her eyes and covered her ears and desperately tried to picture herself with Phoebe, Leo and Paige.

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Piper suddenly stopped breathing. Her eyes closed and her head fell to the side as her entire body relaxed.

"No," Phoebe whimpered.

Before Leo could lift Piper in his arms to take her back to the shower she gasped for air and sat up. Leo and Phoebe quickly wrapped their arms around her and held her tightly.

"I'm so sorry," Piper sobbed.

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The three Halliwell sisters stood in front of Prue's plaque. Piper ran her fingers along the raised letters. She had told Phoebe, Paige and Leo about the world the Source had created for her and how she tried to stay with Prue.

"She's really gone," she sighed. Phoebe nodded and wrapped her arms around her sister's waist.

"I'm afraid so," Phoebe replied. "But we'll see her again. Once we've accepted the fact that she can't come back the Elders will let us see her again. Just like mom and Grams." Piper nodded. Phoebe glanced back at Paige, who was admiring the other plaques on the walls.

"But if we hadn't lost Prue, we never would have met Paige," Phoebe added. Paige looked startled. Piper smiled and looked back at her new baby sister.

"I know," she said. "I'm really sorry I haven't taken more time to get to know you Paige. I really haven't been myself since Prue died."

"Totally understandable," said Paige. "Don't worry about it."

"No," said Piper. "It's really not fair to you. We need to take some time out to get to know more about Paige." Phoebe walked over to Paige and put her arm around her shoulder.

"We should have a sisters' night out," Phoebe suggested. "We haven't done that in a very long time. Some sisterly bonding is definitely in order."

"I agree," said Piper. "I think we should grab a girly movie, give each other a manicure and pig out." Phoebe smiled.

"And the first thing you should know about being a sister," said Phoebe with a grin. "Is that we reserve the right to raid each other's closets."

"Well, if that's the case," said Paige. "There are a few articles of clothing that I've been dying to try on."

The three girls walked happily toward Piper's SUV, leaving Prue to rest and beginning a new generation of Halliwell sisterhood.


End file.
